Tackling misuse of social media collectively

KUCHING: The misuse of social media is not solely the responsibility of government agencies but a collective societal duty, says Datuk Gerald Rentap Jabu.

The Youth, Sports, and Entrepreneur Development Deputy Minister stressed that that parents, youth clubs, and the wider community must work together to ensure young people understand what is right and wrong online.

“This can’t be resolved only when things go wrong and we call the police or report to MCMC (Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission).

“We must understand that this is everyone’s responsibility, a societal responsibility. If something’s not right, we should speak up and correct it,” he said.

He said this during the 34th term of the state-level National Youth Consultation Council (MPBN) conference held at Imperial Hotel here today (Oct 3).

Rentap revealed that more than 800 cases related to cyberbullying and scams had been reported to the MCMC between January and July this year.

He said these scams affect not only the youth but also older generations and urged caution in rural communities where awareness of such scams is limited.

He also said it is important to promote humility and encourage individuals to take responsibility for their online actions.

“You can’t hide behind the screen, using fake names or being a ‘ghost in the night’ (hantu malam).

“What’s most important is that we give our children and youth more experience so they can develop the wisdom to differentiate between right and wrong,” he added.

In addition to addressing social media misuse, the MPBN had earlier debated five key motions aimed at enhancing youth development in Sarawak, including strategies for securing government funding and incentives for youth clubs, combating social media misuse, tackling school dropout rates, societal issues and expanding job opportunities for youth.

“We heard the motions, and they were responded to by the relevant agencies, including the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Royal Malaysia Police, Social Security Organisation (SOCSO), and MCMC.

“We were able to debate the general statements made earlier to further empower and explore what can be done to make our youth more productive and successful,” added Rentap.